The animated parody spin-off Hokuto no Ken – Kenoh gun Zako-tachi no Banka (北斗の拳 拳王軍ザコたちの挽歌) continues to build its reputation on the Japanese scene. The official account has just announced that the series will be screened at the prestigious Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival in early June 2026.
Screening at the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival
The screening is scheduled for Saturday, June 6, 2026 at 5:30 PM, at the A-Lisada gymnasium in Yubari, in Hokkaido prefecture. The Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival is one of Japan’s most respected film festivals, specializing in fantastic, horror, and cult films. Seeing a short comedic anime selected in this context is a true institutional recognition for Animatica’s production.
The slogan chosen by the official account to announce the event perfectly captures the tone of the series: “Sekimatsu ni warai shinuba!”, which literally means “Die laughing during the end of the world!”. A playful nod to the legendary screams of the zakos (the low-ranking soldiers, interchangeable henchmen of the major antagonists) let out before each fatal explosion.
The official pitch: a hell of a job (literally)
For those discovering the series, the official synopsis perfectly sums up the absurdity of the concept: “Year 199X. The world is ravaged by nuclear flames, and simply surviving is already a feat. For Nobu, the hero, finding a job in this context is even harder. And then he finally lands one… in Raoh’s Army! In a position where there are more dead than applicants, how long will Nobu survive?”
On the program: short sketches featuring the entire bestiary of secondary characters from Hokuto no Ken, zakos disguised as a grandmother, and even the jailer Uighur from Cassandra. A comedy where the protagonists die in droves, as the official promo humorously announces.
A series gaining momentum
Launched on January 5, 2026, the Zakoban series consists of 12 short episodes of 4 minutes each, and a second season has been officially confirmed for July 2026.
The project is led by Animatica, a new production label created by Frontier Works and Animatica Inc. The role of Nobu is voiced by seiyuu Shimono Hiro (Zenitsu in Demon Slayer, Connie in Attack on Titan), alongside Hai Shinnosuke (Zaku), Yano Masaaki (Bāzu), and Takahashi Shin’ya as narrator.
For those discovering the series, we presented the concept in our article from April 25. A refreshing take on the Hokuto no Ken universe, from the perspective of the apocalypse’s henchmen rather than Kenshiro.
Source: official account @hokuto_zakoban
